Director: Alexander Korda Year: 1931 Run-time: 2 hr 7 min Source: Criterion Channel Streaming Notable For : Adapted from a play by Marcel Pagnol, Marius is the first in a trilogy of films set in Marseille that develops Pagnol's rich and diverse cast of characters. Pagnol's dialogue deftly maneuvers between comedy and dramatic poignancy. Few films of this era can make appropriate use of so many wonderful characters, including but not limited to Marius himself, his paramour Fanny, and their respective parents Cesar and Alida. Korda's direction respects the script but enhances the sense of place, a small, comfortable town on the French coast which Marius longs to escape. It's a landmark French film that mixes drama and comedy in a different way than Chaplin pioneered. Verdict : Marius is an accessible, charming film that deserves a bigger audience (although it certainly has its champions). The performances are strong, and though the story is...
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